Brent’s Favorite Early-Spring Flowering Daffodils

Our garden has really started to wake up over the last few weeks, and we’re already blessed with greetings from some of our earliest spring-blooming bulbs. I recently had a conversation about some of my personal favorites, and it occurred to me that I have a whole set of favorites in the Daffodil family alone!

As some of you know, Daffodils are pretty dear to Becky and I, and we’ve been fortunate to work closely with these special flowers for a number of years now. I’ve loved so many, it’s hard to narrow down to a list of top picks, but I’ve done my best to bring you this list of Daffodils that bloom in early spring. The following eight cultivars are either blooming now, or are ready to burst any minute! Make sure to get your hands on these standout varieties when you plant your spring-flowering bulbs next fall.

Longest Lasting

Ceylon features buttercup-yellow petals and a red-to-orange cup. Not only are these cuties some of the longest-lasting blooms in the early spring garden, but they’re also some of the most reliable perennials. I certainly have a soft spot for Ceylon! Zones 3-8.

Best for Big Blooms

Marieke boasts one of the largest Daffodil flowers, announcing the arrival of spring with its bold golden trumpets! Like Ceylon, Marieke is a long-lasting variety that looks dazzling when mass planted. Zones 3-8.

Best Double Flower

Abba (zone 5-9) has an enchanting spicy fragrance with equally spellbinding double flowers. This dazzling Daffodil’s white petals and reddish-orange flecked center segments will have you singing ‘Mamma Mia!’. A nice choice for Southern gardeners, as Abba doesn’t require a very long cold period before forcing. Zones 5-9.

Biggest Personality

Orange Comet is a lot of fun! This energetic Daffodil appears to be shooting through space with a dual-color orange-rimmed cup and rear-facing white petals. This Daffodil is one of our very own cultivars—and one we’re very proud of! Zones 4-9.

Best Miniature

Snow Baby is absolutely adorable in pots. This pure-white miniature cultivar (4-8”) forces easily and always commands attention at flower shows. Unlike most white Daffodil cultivars that emerge butter-yellow and fade to white, Snow Baby is pure white from the moment they break bud. Zones 4-9. 

Best Classic Yellow

Carlton is a true perennial classic and the world’s second-most popular Daffodil! The classic two-toned yellow color and vanilla-like fragrance will please true Daffodil purists. An excellent, tried-and-true cultivar that performs especially well in Southern gardens. Zones 4-8.

Best Color (Non-Yellow)*

Barrett Browning will stop you in your tracks with its ultra-bright white petals and red-orange cup that seems to glow in the early spring garden. Barrett Browning is the earliest bloomer with this color combination, and it comes back year after year to stun you yet again! Zones 3-8.

Best Multi-Flowering*

Avalanche has also been known as ‘Seventeen Sisters’ because each of the sturdy stems holds 15-20 beautifully-fragrant, white-petaled blossoms with butter yellow cups. Avalanche is a strong performer in the garden and tends to win flower shows by a landslide! 

*Both Avalanche and Barrett Browning are included as part of the Brent and Becky’s Daffodil Favorites collection. This collection is an assortment of our favorite cultivars to keep your garden brimming with beautiful Daffodils all through the growing season.

We wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for these incredible bulbs, and we love to share the joy of Daffodils with our friends and customers. This list is just a small sampling of the amazing Daffodil cultivars in our garden, but there are plenty more to choose from in our Fall-Planted catalogue. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter so you can be the first to order your Daffodils when they’re ready to ship in March!